Wenger stalling Sanchez’s chance of becoming the league’s highest-paid player

While Arsenal are getting set to link up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with former Dortmund team-mate Henrikh Mkhitaryan, there are reports that a swap for the Manchester United man might fail for Wenger’s issues with out-of-favor striker Alexis Sanchez.

Image: Alexis Sanchez

The swap deal with Sanchez is expected to be sealed today.

Sanchez, who turned down his current club’s £300,000-a-week offer, is set to become one of the Premier League’s highest-paid player on £505,000 per week as a United player, but Wenger is insisting that the sale won’t pull through unless Jose Mourinho’s club agrees to release Mkhitaryan.

Interestingly, Arsenal also wants an extra £10m cash plus the player-swap because they believe Sanchez has a higher market value than the Armenian footballer.

Speaking about the ongoing deadlock, Wenger said: “I’ve worked on transfers for 30 years, so I know it is likely to happen, but at any moment, at any minute, things can break down.

These kind of things are never guaranteed,” he added.

Wenger, 68, said he understands Mkhitaryan has been offered to Arsenal saying, “the player’s wages would not be an obstacle.”

“We played many times against him (Mkhitaryan) when he was at Dortmund. He certainly appreciated the quality of our game and the way we play football. That’s why certainly he loves the club as well,”the coach said.

“This would be an exchange of players, and I think one would replace the other.

“Yes, Alexis and Mkhitaryan could happen,” he added, however adding that he has no personal troubles with the famous Chilean footballer.

“I have had no problem with Alexis Sanchez,”Wenger noted. “His attitude has been outstanding with us. He was in training (on Wednesday), fully committed and prepared 100 per cent.”